Sojourner

[Joshshortbus]

Damn fiberglass removal bare handed your a wild man. Wanna be a plumber out in Colorado?

[Brewerbob]

Originally Posted by Joshshortbus

Damn fiberglass removal bare handed your a wild man. Wanna be a plumber out in Colorado?

Fioberglass batting? Barehanded, no problem. I won't however do it bare armed.

[sojourner]

Got a bit more done on Gimel with some materials I have on hand. I built the solar battery box frame from 2-1/2" x 5/16" thick angle iron. I'm using a box that will hold 4 golf cart batteries that will be wired series parallel to give me 400-450 amp hours of storage. I'm keeping things centered and low to help smooth the ride where I can and keep the CG centered. I mounted it right between the frame rails just aft of the water tank which is just aft of the differential. This will give me around 650Lbs. "ballast" just aft of the differential. Not a lot but I'll take what I can to soften the ride a bit.
Some might have a hard time with the idea of drilling on the flange of the frame rails but, from what I have researched, doing so with small bolt holes (in my case 5/16") in the center of the flange is really not an issue. Now, if one was cutting the flange from the inside edge in, different story altogether (I can't for the life of me think why anyone would do that but there's a call out for that).

Here's a pic from the underside looking at the solar battery box frame:



From the inside looking down (access to the batteries will be via the storage compartment under the bed):

[BurlKing]

Originally Posted by sojourner

Got a bit more done on Gimel with some materials I have on hand. I built the solar battery box frame from 2-1/2" x 5/16" thick angle iron. I'm using a box that will hold 4 golf cart batteries that will be wired series parallel to give me 400-450 amp hours of storage. I'm keeping things centered and low to help smooth the ride where I can and keep the CG centered. I mounted it right between the frame rails just aft of the water tank which is just aft of the differential. This will give me around 650Lbs. "ballast" just aft of the differential. Not a lot but I'll take what I can to soften the ride a bit.
Some might have a hard time with the idea of drilling on the flange of the frame rails but, from what I have researched, doing so with small bolt holes (in my case 5/16") in the center of the flange is really not an issue. Now, if one was cutting the flange from the inside edge in, different story altogether (I can't for the life of me think why anyone would do that but there's a call out for that).

Here's a pic from the underside looking at the solar battery box frame:



From the inside looking down (access to the batteries will be via the storage compartment under the bed):

great fabrication and ideas as always!

[sojourner]

On another note. Has anyone raised the roof and continued using the stock bus windows? It seems the missing portion of the hat channel would make it problematic (which is one reason I'd like to use hat channel as part of the extensions). As far as the z-channel needed on the bottom, no problem having that made (or making myself). Lori and I have decided to use the stock bus windows for a few reasons:
1. It will allow us to add more light into the space while leaving all but one (we have to remove one to install the door midships) hat channel bow in place.
2. The RV windows we have salvaged from our travel trailer are single pane and would give us no thermal advantage over the stock bus windows other than they are tinted.
3. I can take apart and rebuild the current bus windows. I believe I've located new vinyl glazing strip material as well as the pile weatherstrip used on the sliding portion of the window. We're seriously thinking of tinting the windows to improve their efficiency. Also, we've found that once disassembled, cleaned and lubricated, these windows operate very nicely.
4. We can trim out the stock windows to be more "residential-like" on the inside.
5. We can, if desired, have thicker walls giving us more insulation. The RV windows limited us to 2" thick walls.

I'm really not that interested in opinions but rather insight from actual experience using bus windows on their roof raise?

[Brewerbob]

I likes it. Mine would have to be in front of the diff. Rear engine.

Originally Posted by sojourner

Now, if one was cutting the flange from the inside edge in, different story altogether (I can't for the life of me think why anyone would do that but there's a call out for that).

You're talking about cutting a slot in the frame? Or are you talking about cutting a slot in the angle iron? I don't like the idea of either of those.

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by Brewerbob

I likes it. Mine would have to be in front of the diff. Rear engine.


You're talking about cutting a slot in the frame? Or are you talking about cutting a slot in the angle iron? I don't like the idea of either of those.

Cutting the flange of the frame rail (ref. pg. 15 of: https://www.gmupfitter.com/files/med...abForwardW.pdf) is what was referenced. Never a good idea but in the document cited is called out in case anyone was thinking about it.

I wanted to mount the solar battery box in front of the diff but a couple things prevented me. One was a cross brace in the frame rail was such it would have required me to cut two floor joists next to each other (the second thing) to position. Something I simply will not do. As it turns out, having the weight of the batteries farther aft will give me more weight advantage (think lever) concerning the spring mounts over the diff. than directly in front of the differential.

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by BurlKing

great fabrication and ideas as always!

Thanks. I noticed on your thread your interest in a different dash and instrument cluster (something I totally advocate!!). Take a look back in my thread and you can see what I'm doing. It might be of interest to you since you and I both have "pre-computer" buses. I'll probably do a burl vinyl on my actual dash panel (this sort of thing is what Peterbilt and other manufacturers did back in the day before all the plastic stuff) and bed liner on the dash adapter and other places (dog house) for contrast and durability in the cab. Diamond plate floor for sure and maybe a barefoot for the accelerator for fun !

[BurlKing]

Originally Posted by sojourner

Thanks. I noticed on your thread your interest in a different dash and instrument cluster (something I totally advocate!!). Take a look back in my thread and you can see what I'm doing. It might be of interest to you since you and I both have "pre-computer" buses. I'll probably do a burl vinyl on my actual dash panel (this sort of thing is what Peterbilt and other manufacturers did back in the day before all the plastic stuff) and bed liner on the dash adapter and other places (dog house) for contrast and durability in the cab. Diamond plate floor for sure and maybe a barefoot for the accelerator for fun !

Thats awesome. Cant wait to see your end job!

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[sojourner]

Originally Posted by BurlKing

Thats awesome. Cant wait to see your end job!

Sent from my LG-LS777 using Tapatalk

That makes at least two of us!!
My project reminds me of a "Three hour cruise" kinda thing. Thankfully Lori (my wife) is the perfect combination of Mary Ann and Ginger with the grace of Mrs. Howell! I, however, am the perfect combination of The Captain, Gilligan and the professor. I don't have pockets deep enough to the Thurston Howell III .
Yea, while I did real good, Lori could have probably done better .

[cadillackid]

what if you raised the roof below the window line so you keep the supports and locations for the windows? as opposed to cutting in the middle like a lot do... I seem to remember a builer here at some point where someone raised the roof below the windows and moved windows up so they were still at the top.. allowed all their counter tops and such to fit nicely under the windows even at standard height with a raised insulated floor..
-Christopher

[plfking]

This one. I really like the window height also.


Don

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

As CHris said. Raise the winders with the roof.
I know if I did do mine at this point I wouldn't have much metal to weld or overlap onto with out demoing all of my finished S$$$t to do it because of not enough access below the the window framing to weld (for me successfully) .
It's easy for someone to give an opinion on someone else's build and it's time consuming to listen to all the opinions whether good or bad?
Regardless of the research and the forum everyone makes there own final decision.

[david.dgeorge07]

Love your basement fabrication!


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[sojourner]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

what if you raised the roof below the window line so you keep the supports and locations for the windows? as opposed to cutting in the middle like a lot do... I seem to remember a builer here at some point where someone raised the roof below the windows and moved windows up so they were still at the top.. allowed all their counter tops and such to fit nicely under the windows even at standard height with a raised insulated floor..
-Christopher

I thought of that but I really don't want to remove the outer skin. Besides that, the z-channel they installed for the bottom of the windows is pretty sub-par if you ask me. I can do a much better job not being on the time constraints of a manufacturing situation. This will also give me a much better sealing surface at the end of the day.
If I can get some hat channels made that are exact copies of the original and tube the inside of them (tubes extending to attach to the OEM hat channels) to fit into the originals I can retain the original profile inside and out. If I do it at the correct place the replacement z-channels would weld nicely on the mild steel section of the whole thing.

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by plfking

This one. I really like the window height also.


Don

Thanks for the pic. Which build is that picture from? I'd like to check it out.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by sojourner

I thought of that but I really don't want to remove the outer skin. Besides that, the z-channel they installed for the bottom of the windows is pretty sub-par if you ask me. I can do a much better job not being on the time constraints of a manufacturing situation. This will also give me a much better sealing surface at the end of the day.
If I can get some hat channels made that are exact copies of the original and tube the inside of them (tubes extending to attach to the OEM hat channels) to fit into the originals I can retain the original profile inside and out. If I do it at the correct place the replacement z-channels would weld nicely on the mild steel section of the whole thing.

Sending you a section of original hat channel and an extension channel. It'll be monday.
REMIND ME!

[sojourner]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Sending you a section of original hat channel and an extension channel. It'll be monday.
REMIND ME!

Thanks! Will do. I'll PM ya.

[plfking]

Originally Posted by sojourner

Thanks for the pic. Which build is that picture from? I'd like to check it out.

This is the one Chris was referring to, I think. It is in the photo albums somewhere.....I only saved these three pics because it may be something I do to mine. I like the window height because you wouldn't have to stoop over as far to see out the windows, and they would offer more privacy if you're boondocking in your underwear.


Don

[golfersmurf57]

Anyone interested I will have some bus windows intact frames and all once I begin my skinning segment they'll be double height will be posted in the classifieds once I pull em. Ill be sure to post the size as well.

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